Stand-In Mistress

‘You’ve just told me your brother was promised a loan by an investment company?’

‘Yes.’ Shaken as she was by a sudden nameless fear, her voice was barely above a whisper.

‘Before agreeing to lend a business money, the first thing an investment company does is obtain a very clear picture of their client’s current financial situation, as well as the business’s future prospects. MBL is no exception—’

‘How do you know it was MBL…?’ Almost before the words were out, she froze.

Watching the dawning look of horror in her deep blue eyes, he waited quietly.

With a courage he was forced to admire, she sat up straighter and lifted her chin. ‘What does the M stand for?’

‘Michael. Though the family have always used my middle name.’

‘You don’t happen to own Liam Peters too?’

‘It’s a subsidiary of Lancing International.’

‘But surely you don’t control their policies, or interfere in their internal decisions?’

‘Not normally. But if I wanted to, all it would take is a word in the right ear.’

While the full enormity of what he was saying sank in she sat staring straight ahead, feeling curiously numb and empty.

She could hear herself asserting ‘You are the last person in the world I would choose to work for’.

And his response: ‘Ah, but, you see, you don’t have a choice. At least not if you care what happens to Steve’s company’.

After a moment she said carefully, ‘There must be more ethical ways to acquire a secretary?’

‘I’m sure there are. But, as I don’t want just any secretary, it’s a case of needs must…

‘You see, as this will be part-holiday, I want not only an efficient PA, but also a companion. I don’t find there’s much pleasure eating alone, sightseeing alone, spending the evenings alone…’

So this was what Milly had been asked for.

‘I’d like someone intelligent to talk to, someone to share things with—’

‘If you mean your bed, I won’t sleep with you,’ she broke in sharply. ‘I won’t be your mistress.’

He laid it on the line. ‘If you really want to save your brother, you’ll do anything I want you to do. Be anything I want you to be.’

‘I’ve got a fiancé.’

‘That didn’t seem to worry you last night.’

Head bent, she clenched her hands together until the knuckles showed white. Then, looking up, her eyes so dark they appeared almost black, she moistened dry lips, and asked, ‘Why me?’

He laughed, as though that was a silly question.

And perhaps, in the circumstances, it was.

‘Shall we call it poetic justice? You deprived me of a perfectly good secretary—’

‘But Milly wasn’t free to—’

Taking no notice of the interruption, he went on relentlessly, ‘And with no personal knowledge of what kind of man I really am, you attacked and reviled me.

‘I’m afraid I don’t take kindly to being called a lecher and a liar, and my motto has always been, “Don’t get mad, get even.”’

And this was his way of doing it. To use and humiliate her.

Feeling as though her blood had turned to ice in her veins, she shivered, seeing now, with hindsight, that it had been playing with dynamite to incense a man as ruthless as Brad Lancing.

Of course, he might be bluffing. For an instant she clung to the thought. But if she refused, and he wasn’t, it would not only be the end of the company Steve had worked so hard to make successful, but the end of the road for them all.

There weren’t that many jobs about. With no money coming in they would find it impossible to keep up the high mortgage payments…

Added to that, it might well put the young couple’s wedding plans in jeopardy, and with a baby on the way the whole situation could become a nightmare…

And it would be all her fault.

If only she had had more sense…

But it was too late for regrets, and, having got into this mess, how could she let Steve and Lisa and the loyal, hardworking staff at Optima suffer because of her stupidity?

The answer was, she couldn’t.

If she hadn’t meddled in the first place she would never have met Brad Lancing and none of this would have happened…But something even worse might have done.

At this very moment, Milly, rather than being safely in Scotland, might be wrecking not only her own life but also Duncan’s, by going to Norway with a womanising swine who would drop her the minute he had had his fun.

It didn’t bear thinking about. At least this way there would only be herself who would suffer…

She had looked up to give Brad Lancing her answer, when the door opened and Steve walked into the kitchen wearing a short navy-blue towelling robe.

Barefoot, his dark hair rumpled, he rubbed the back of his neck and yawned widely. ‘I could do with a coffee if there’s any made?’

‘There should be some in the pot.’ She was surprised by how steady her voice sounded.

‘Thanks. Lisa’s still asleep so I’ll…’ The words tailed off as he caught sight of Brad. ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you had a visitor.’

‘An early one, I’m afraid.’ Brad rose to his feet and held out his hand. ‘I’m Brad Lancing…You must be Steve.’

The two men shook hands. Neither smiled, and Steve’s face had a cool, guarded look.

Joanne took a deep breath. ‘Mr Lancing called to—’

‘Brad, please…There’s no need for formality outside the office.’